The Grand Circuit's weekly overview highlights its upcoming races at Hoosier Park, Meadowlands Racetrack and Pocono Downs.
This Week: Breeders Crown eliminations and Circle City, Harrah’s Hoosier Park, Anderson, Indiana; Kindergarten Series leg, The Meadowlands, East Rutherford, New Jersey.; and John Simpson Stakes, Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.
Schedule of Events: On Thursday, Hoosier will host three $25,000 Breeders Crown eliminations for two-year-old filly trotters and two $25,000 eliminations for two-year-old male trotters; Friday will feature a trio of $25,000 eliminations for two-year-old pacing males and a pair of $25,000 eliminations each for two-year-old filly pacers, three-year-old filly pacers and three-year-old filly trotters; Saturday features a single $25,000 elimination in the open trot, a pair of $25,000 eliminations each in the open pace, mare pace and mare trot, and a trio of $25,000 eliminations each in the three-year-old male pace and three-year-old male trot.
Also on Thursday, Hoosier will host eight Circle City races for three-year-olds of both sexes and gaits. There will be a pair of $30,500 divisions in the colt pace and two $30,000 divisions each in the colt trot, filly trot and filly pace.
On Friday, The Meadowlands will host a leg of the Kindergarten Series for two-year-olds of both sexes and gaits with each of seven races going for $20,000. There will be a single division in the filly pace and two divisions each in the colt pace, colt trot and filly trot.
On Saturday afternoon at Pocono, there will be three divisions in the $98,100 John Simpson Stakes for three-year-old colt pacers and three divisions in the $92,300 John Simpson Stakes for three-year-old colt trotters.
Complete entries for all the races are available on the USTA website.
Last Time: Rarely do rivalries live up to the hype in horse racing. Still, on Saturday (Oct. 14), the rivalry between Jugette winner Ucandoit Blue Chip and Jugette runner-up Zanatta more than lived up to the hype as the pair scored a dead-heat victory in the $100,000 Courageous Lady Stakes at MGM Northfield Park. To recap the complete recap, click here.
Grand Circuit Standings: In 2023, the Grand Circuit leaders in three categories (driver, trainer and owner) will once again be tracked on a points system (20-10-5 for the top three finishers in divisions/finals and 10-5-2 for the top three finishers in eliminations/legs). Winbak Farms is the sponsor for the 2023 Grand Circuit awards.
Here are the leaders (through the races on Oct. 14, 2023):
Drivers: 1. Yannick Gingras – 1,009; 2. David Miller – 874; 3. Dexter Dunn – 837; 4. Tim Tetrick – 825; 5. Scott Zeron – 780.
Trainers: 1. Ron Burke – 1,216; 2. Ake Svanstedt – 884; 3. Tony Alagna – 526; 4. Nancy Takter – 483; 5. Brett Pelling – 384.
Owners: 1. Diamond Creek Racing – 350.6; 2. Burke Racing Stable – 248.5; 3. Hudson Standardbred Stable – 185.8; 4. Weaver Bruscemi – 170.6; 5. Ken Jacobs – 150.
Looking Ahead: Grand Circuit action will once again take place next week at Harrah’s Hoosier Park and The Meadowlands. Hoosier will offer 12 Breeders Crown finals for two-year-olds, three-year-olds and older horses of both sexes and gaits, as well as The Pegasus for three-year-olds of both sexes and gaits. The Meadowlands will have another leg of the Kindergarten Series for two-year-olds of both sexes and gaits.
(Grand Circuit)